SECONDARY FERMENTATION & CONDITIONING

How long should I condition my bottled beer?

Q. How long should I condition my bottled beer?

This is a function of temperature and your flavour requirements.

The primary purpose for storing bottles is to allow secondary fermentation to occur which will convert the priming sugar to CO₂. The CO₂ level will increase from about 0.3%w/v to about 0.5-0.6%w/v. Further storage, often called conditioning or maturation, may be undertaken to develop a smoother flavour.

At 20ºC secondary fermentation is usually complete after two weeks. This can be seen without opening the bottle. The yeast will have settled to the bottom, the beer will be clear and ready for chilling and consumption.

At less than 19ºC the time for secondary fermentation to complete may stretch to a third week. Beware of attempting the secondary fermentation conditioning at too low a temperature - the yeast may settle prematurely and you'll be left with a flat beer.

I avoid secondary fermentation at temperatures in excess of 26ºC as unpredictable flavours may develop.

After the secondary fermentation period I check that the yeast has settled and the beer appears clear. I chill a bottle overnight and pour it into a glass. I can then assess the CO₂ content, the clarity and the flavour. Normally everything should be fine.

However sometimes there may be a slight sulphury flavour that requires a bit more maturation (say a week) to remove.

Following a favourable assessment I store the beer at room temperature (20ºC) and put bottles in the fridge for drinking as required.

Some home brewers store (condition) for several months at 20ºC or lower before consumption. They believe that the beer matures significantly and favourably.

Some of the fun in home brewing is that you can experiment and determine which maturation conditions suit your palate.

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